The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-02-03

| STOCK LAW.
The delegates appointed by the Stock
Law Mass Meeting held in AsheVillt
last Wednesday to visit Raleigh in op
position to the Pearson Repeal Bill have
all returned. The fol lowing gentlemen
compose the committee who went to
Raleigh: Col L. NJ. Hatch, Col. Dave
Blackwell, N. Plamadore. Maj. ]. G.
Martin, John B. Sumner, W. C. Hunter
Col. Sol. Hampton, VIM. 6. Gambler, A.
B. Fortune and DR.. 81. B. Weaver. They
arrived in Raleigh on Friday, and ap-
peared before the Senate committee on
Propositions and finances at o'clock in
the afternoon. Their appearance had
attracted some attention, and quite a
number of members of the General As
sembly and other spectators WeSi ss-
ent. The Senate committee present
were composed of Messrs. Fields, Chair.
man, Pou, Carr, Williamson, Grouse,
Terrell. Taylor and Arthurs
All the ]suncombe delegation were
present. Senator Fox, Messrs Pearson
and Welles, and R. N. Furman were
also in attendance.
BY request Of the delegation, Major
Martin first addressed the committee.
He had been chosen chairman of the
delegation. w. G. Gambler was chosen
Vice Chairman, and L. NJ. Hatch Sec
retary.
Mai Martin spoke at length, present
ing a full, clear and able argument
on the repeal bill. He said substan-
TALLY that the stock law mass
meeting represented three-fourths of
the real estate of Buncombe county
at a low estimate, and was composed of
Landowners and others without regard
to party. He cited the fact that the del
egation was composed of seven demo-
Gratis and three republicans. He entered
fully into the reasons against the repeal
objections to the bill itself; as to the time
for building fences, that it required the
farmer to build his fences and make his
crop at the same time, which was i'm
practicable; and as to the unusual, objec-
tionable and impertinent character of
section eight of that bill, which was a
gross reflection on the county commits
sioners, that it was unconstitutional in
that it imposed unusual and excessive
punishment; section nine deprives the In
ferior Court of its jurisdiction, and in
vests the Solicitor of The 18th Judicial
district with the powers and duties of a
grand jury. The provisions of the bill
are cumbersome and expensive. Section
thirteen is evidently drawn with refer
ence to the of-year in politics. Section
fourteen he denounced in severe terms,
He exposed other bad features of the
bill. This was not an original proposition
| it received the sanction of the last
Legislature. The people of the six
| townships where the law of 1885 was
made absolute had torn down their fen
ces, in good, faith, never sgpppsi4g that
any question could ever u II as TO
them; and showed the great Stsfdstiee OF
the lawaas to these townships. He made
many other valuable points which our
limited space prevents our publishing at
this time.
w. g. Gambler was the next speaker
He made an able and earnest argument
in opposition to the Pearson bill. He
said substantially that the delegation
came as the representatives of large and
enthusiastic mass meeting of the people
of Buncombe, made up of both political
parties. He himself was a Republican,
but came as a friend of the farmers
There was no politics in this meeting or
this delegation; both parties were repres-
ented: The meeting had been gotten
up hurriedly, but Notwithstanding the
short notice the meeting was large and
of a representative character. He had
introduced stock law bill in the House
years ago when he was member of the
Legislature bill that came within two
votes of being passed. He said he was
strongly in favor of the stock law; it was
demanded by the best interests of the
country; it had become necessity to the
farmers, on account of the growing scar
city of timber, and other causes. He
objected particularly to the time fixed in
the bill for the rebuilding of the fences.
1t would be impracticable for the farm
ere to reconstruct their fences by the first
of September. This feature in the law
would work great hardship on farmers,
both renters and croppers, and be ruin
GUS to the agricultural interests this year.
He explained the inside of the election
last fall; showed how Pearson and Wells
were elected by combination of the Re-
publicans and the anti. stock law Demo
Gratis; that the county government ques-
| GlOA AcbA u4O4O w OO n4bQ LldQ
the stock law; that large part of the
twenty-eight hundred votes given the
anti-stock law ticket was made up of
negroes; that the negro vote in the
county was about twelve or fourteen
hundred, all of which, with few e1cep-
tions, supported Pearson and Wells
He said the account given in in the Adj
vance of the stock law mass sheeting
did not give the facts as they existed.
| Maj. D. A. Blackwell spoke next. He
said the stock law was working well;
people were growing more, and more
pleased with it; the farming interests re-
quired it; he spoke purely as farmer;
he well understood the needs of the
county. The repeal of the law now would
work great hardship generally.
A great many had complied with the
law, pulling down their fences, and
throwing their crops out. That it
would be impracticable to rebuild the
fences and make the usual crops between
April 1st and September LIST this year.
Col. L. M. Hatch then addressed the
Committee. He said he lived in the
mountains, and knew thoroughly the
operations of the law. The district he
lived in, the Bent Creek section of
Avery's Creek Townshsp, had voted into
the Stock Law territory, showing the
growing of the sentiment in favor Of the
law in the heart Of the mountains. He
showed the value of the stock-law to the
people, illustrating this argument by
many facts; and asserted that unques-
tionably the best interests of the people
would be subserved by keeping the
stock law as it is. He said to repeal the
law now would work great injury to the
farmers. He spoke solely from the stand